Monthly Archives: July 2009

Debbie Purdy, the terminal MS patient, is rejoicing at her success with the Law Lords yesterday.  It must be right that the DPP should be asked to clarify his policy on prosecuting those who help terminally-ill patients to die.  It … Continue reading →

Those who argue in favour of British membership of the EU claim that if we left, and had a free-trade agreement like Norway or Switzerland, we should still be subject to most of the EU’s acquis communautaire, “but have no … Continue reading →

Vaclav Klaus, the President of the Czech Republic, is a hero.  Sound on Europe, sound on climate.  I met him recently, at the Heartland Climate Conference in New York in March, where he gave the keynote speech.  His book, “Blue … Continue reading →

Yesterday evening I was watching the regional weather forecast, and the weather girl opened her piece with the question “Whatever happened to summer?”.  Remember that the Met Office warned us that this was going to be a “Barbecue Summer”, and … Continue reading →

I thought I would share with you a recent letter to regional press on the subject of my previous blogpost about our new Polish partners:- Dear Sir,   I was very sorry indeed to see that Poland’s civil rights chief, … Continue reading →

The leader of our new Group in the European parliament, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), is the Polish MEP Michal Tomasz Kaminski.  He is a very sound conservative, and a good friend of mine, and I am delighted that … Continue reading →

Following the amazing events of July 14th, when Yorkshire MEP Edward McMillan Scott tried to destabilise our new European Conservatives group by making a solo run for Vice President of the parliament, one of my colleagues posed a question: “What … Continue reading →

July 15th:  Yesterday in Strasbourg was one of the most remarkable and dramatic days I have seen in ten years in politics, where a series of setbacks was followed by an extraordinary and wholly unexpected success.   We started with … Continue reading →

July 14th:  We have just sat through the opening session of the new 2009/14 parliament, in the Strasbourg hemicycle.  Contrary to popular myth (and contrary to BBC reports, which speak of new MEPs being “sworn in”), there is no oath … Continue reading →

When you’ve been ploughing a lonely furrow for many months, it’s good to find the big battalions rowing in behind you.   I’ve been arguing for some time, not only that wind makes little sense in environmental terms and none … Continue reading →

  July 11th:  Today I was invited to visit Baumber, near Horncastle, Lincs, by the Baumber Windfarm Action Group (BWAG: http://www.bwag.co.uk), and I met them at a tiny rural crossroads between Baumber and Wispington.  (To my shame, I have to … Continue reading →

On Monday the (unlucky?) 13th of July, in the Louise Weiss Square at the European parliament in Strasbourg, a formal ceremony will mark the opening of the new 2009/14 parliament, and celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first election, by … Continue reading →

What ever happened to the public service broadcasting ethos?  Whatever happened to balance and impartiality?   Living through the week in Brux, I have the privilege of waking up to the BBC World Service.  All this week, in a series … Continue reading →

I have just had a visit from representatives of the National Council of Resistance in Iran (which likes to be thought of as a government in exile).  I have previously met their doughty leader Maryam Rajavi (see picture).  They were … Continue reading →

Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and his various family members like to bore the pants off us by banging on about vegetarianism.  It all starts with a vague touchy-feely attitude to animals, and the idea that perhaps we should all do better … Continue reading →